Cigarette dispenser



March 22, 1949. E. DEFOURNEAUX CIGARETTE DISPENSER 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26, 1946 INVENTOR ERNEST DEFOf/ENEAUX ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE DISPENSER Ernest Defourneaux, Irvington, N. J. Application December 26, 1946, Serial No. 718,388

4 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing devices and deals more specifically with a cigarette ejector.

Many attempts have been made heretofore to provide cigarette dispensers adapted to discharge or eject individual cigarettes from an ornamental container designed to rest on desks, coffee tables and so forth to take the place of the traditional cigarette box. As a practical matter such attempts have not been successful, in part due to the inherent tendency of the mechanism of such devices to damage the thin paper wrapping of the cigarettes or to disfigure the shape thereof, resulting from the fact that the ejection of the individual cigarettes occurred of necessity in such devices by application of pressure either of the mechanism or of the backed up mass of cigarettes overlying the cigarette to be ejected, and in part due to the exposure of the stored cigarettes tc the atmosphere which tended to dry out, and thus make unpalatable, such cigarettes. Also such devices tended to suffer from clogging and other operative failures.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a cigarette dispenser adapted to eject individual cigarettes without damage thereto. It is another object of this invention to provide such dispenser which shall be infallible in operation and which shall not be subject to accidental clogging. It is a further object of this invention to provide a dispenser for individual cigarettes which shall have a pleasing ornamental appearance. It is a still further object of this invention to provide such dispenser which shall be adapted to maintain cigarettes contained therein in substantially unaffected condition over a reasonable period of time. Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the description thereof hereinafter following.

My invention is illustrated in the drawings, forming part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational perspective view of the dispenser as such,

Fig. 2 is an elevational side view of the dispenser of Fig. 1 with part of the device broken away,

Fig. 3 is a front view of the dispenser with the front wall cut away, and

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are schematic illustrations of the ejector mechanism at various stages of the ejection process.

The dispenser container may have any suitable shape or configuration. In Fig. 1-see also Fig. 2-I have shown a rectangular container l with curved top 2 arranged as a lid-for purposes of access to the box-and provided at either end with a delivery tray 3. While the dispenser thus illustrated is adapted to deliver cigarettes at both ends, it will, of course, be understood that it may be constructed for delivery at one end only, as may be desired. The delivery tray or trays 3 are of elongated shape corresponding to the length of a cigarette and are preferably provided with a rounded indentation 4 so that the tray may receive and hold the delivered cigarette.

The container I serves as receptacle for the cigarettes and also as the housing for the discharge mechanism. Fig. 2 illustrates a dual discharge dispenser and Fig. 3 illustrates part of the discharge mechanism itself, whereas Figs. 4-6 illustrate the functioning of the mechanism.

Each discharge mechanism comprises an inclined floor 6 and cooperating keys 1 and 8. Key 8 is stationary and may be formed as part of the vertical front wall of the container I itself, its characteristic feature being two protrusions or projections 9 and 9, preferably in the form of horizontal ridges. Key 1 on the other hand is a plunger vertically operative, its characteristic feature being the rounded projection [0 with adjacent grooves H and II, groove H terminating in a delivery platform 12 ending in the delivery tray 3.

The plunger key is held in the closed positionillustrated in Fig. 2--by means of a suitable spring, e. g. leaf spring l3 hinged at pivot I4.

Keys '1. and 8 are in spaced relation to form a delivery passage for the cigarette to be ejected. The principle of the dischargemechanism is the achievement of a gravitational roll of the individual cigarette over the inclined fiat surfaced floor 6 to the ejection keys 1 and 8 and the con trolled free gravitational drop of such cigarette through the vertical passage between such keys to the inclined delivery platform l2 and continued gravitational roll of the cigarette over the downwardly inclined platform l2 to the delivery tray 3. The gravitational drop of the cigarette through the passage between the opposed spaced keys I and 8 is controlled by way of the projection in in relation to the projections 9 and 9 cooperating on downward or upward motion of the plunger key I to provide a free passage for the cigarette in process of ejection and simultaneously a lock for the remaining cigarettes in the receptacle.

In Fig. 4, the dispenser being in closed position, I have shown cigarette A in groove ll locked therein between projection l0, projections 9 and 9 and the platform 12. On manual depression of the tray 3 and consequent downward movement of the plunger key 1 this cigarette A will follow the downward movement, the spacing between the projection 9 and the projection l and the wall of the groove ll being at all times sufficient to allow free motion of the dropping cigarette A, to be ejected through the aperture between key 8 and platform l2, as shown in Fig. 5, and coming to rest on the delivery tray 3. During this ejection process cigarette B rests within groove H on projection in and projection 9, and moves downwardly with the downwardly moving projection I 0, the spacing between the projection in and the stationary projection 9 increasing with the downward movement of the key 1 to permit the cigarette B to freely pass such projection 9, to come to rest against the lower projection 9' of the stationary key 8, as shown in Fig. 2. On release of the manual pressure on the tray 3 and consequent upward movement of the spring actuated plunger 1 the cigarette B will, as shown in Fig. 6 continue to rest on projection 9', as shown in Fig. 6, passing the upwardly moving projection ill, to assume on completion of the upward movement of the key 1 the position previously occupied by cigarette A in Fig. 4. During the process cigarette C will roll down the inclined surface 6 to rest on projection 9, as shown in Fig. 5, to assume the position previously occupied by cigarette B.

The drop of the cigarette through the passage between the keys 1 and 8 is free and uninhibited without any pressure being exerted on the cigarette during the discharge process, and thus there is no opportunity for any tearing, crushing or other damage to the cigarette during the discharge. The projections of the stationary key 8 and the convolution of the plunger key 1 serve to carefully separate the cigarettes from each other, so that clogging of the is infallibly avoided.

The cooperation between the keys 1 and 8-or rather the cooperation between the projection l0 and the opposed projections 9 and 9'thus afiords a varying spacing therebetween which in operation is such that while the cigarette to be ejected is permitted free downward movement and egress by uninhibited gravitational to and fro movement the following cigarette is locked out of contact with the cigarette in process of ejection while simultaneously being placed in position for ejection on the next downward movement of the plunger 1. In the closed or inoperative position of the dispenser the protrusion it of the plunger 1 is aligned opposite the protrusion or ridge 9, whereas in the discharge position the projection i0 is aligned opposite ridge 9! As shown in Fig. 3 each discharge mechanism consists of two parallel cooperating key arrangements working in unison, being actuated by the same manual downward operation of the discharge tray 3, so that each cigarette in process of discharge or ejection is supported near each end thereof, during the process, by the supporting surfaces of the keys 1 and 8. In this twostep discharge ejection process the cigarettes involved are thus contained in two separate individual chambers, as shown for instance in Fig. 4, the lower chamber opening on downward movement of the plunger 1 onto the discharge platform i2 permitting the cigarette to continu its gravitational progress until it comes to rest on the tray 3. It will be seen, t herefore, that the discharge compartments are formed between the discharge passage two surfaces 1 and 8 on relative movement thereof, as for instance the movement of the plunger 1 relative to the stationary surface 8, and the protrusions of such surfaces.

It will also be understood that while I have more specifically described my device with each discharge mechanism having two keys 1 and 8 I may of course have any other plurality of such keys 1 and 8 and if desired such keys may be formed by way of a single wall (attending at least along a substantial part of the width of the device, if not along the entire width thereof, to form a single extended key.

In order to provide a device of great sturdiness may form the tray 3, platform l2 and the two keys 1 as a single unit, the free movement of which within the container is guaranteed by side posts l5 riding in guide grooves provided within the side walls of the container. The keys 1 may be positioned within and ride in slots IS in the floor 6, as shown in the drawings, or otherwise. In any case the upper surface 11 ofkey 1 is slanted to conform with the inclined surface of the floor 6 and to be aligned therewith on cansummation of the downward movement of the plunger 1, as shown e. g. in Fig. 5. I

It will be understood that the upward spring actuation of the plunger 1 may involve the utilization of one spring, as shown in the drawings, or a plurality of springs, e. g. one for each plunger 1. 7

While I have described the mechanism with respect to one protrusion, between two grooves, on the movable plunger 1 and to two protrusions on the stationary key 8, the principle may of course be applied in reverse, with two protrusions on the moving surface and one protrusion on the stationary surface.

Since in the non-operative position the entire container, or housing, of the device is substantially closed there is little, if any, air circulation through the device when not in use, as distinguished from other devices of the prior art, so that deterioration of the stored cigarettes is substantially avoided.

The device of the invention may also embody the provision of a humidor |8, e. g. in the form of a perforated or porous material holding or containing a moisture retaining substance, e. 'g. silica gel or mineral wool soaked in water, to maintain a moist atmosphere within the *container. Advantageously such humidor is posttioned near the ceiling of the container, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the moist air, which is heavier than dry air, to sink down and envelop the bigarettes, thus maintaining them in the desired undried condition.

The device may be used not only for the dispensing and ejection of cigarettes but also for the dispensing and ejection of any other rotatable elongated object and, with only minor and obvious adjustments or modifications, of other rotable objects, e. g. spherical objects such as balls.

What I claim is:

1. A cigarette dispenser adapted to dispense individual cigarettes, comprising a container provided with at least one discharge and ejection mechanism involving substantially gravitational movement only of the cigarettes to be discharged, said mechanism comprising an inclined rolling surface terminating in a discharge passage formed between two substantially vertical parallel surfaces movable relative to each other, one "of said surfacesbein'g stationary and provided with an upper and a lower protrusion and the other of said surfaces being vertically movable and provided with one protrusion adapted to be aligned opposite the said upper protrusion when the dispenser is in the closed position and opposite the said lower protrusion when the dispenser is in the discharge position, said protrusions forming therebetween an upper and a lower chamber adapted each to contain therein an individual cigarette, the lower chamber opening on relative movement of said surfaces onto a discharge platform.

2. A cigarette dispenser adapted to dispense individual cigarettes, comprising a container provided with at least one discharge and ejection mechanism involving substantially gravitational movement only of the cigarettes to be discharged, said mechanism comprising an inclined rolling surface terminating in a discharge passage formed between two substantially vertical parallel surfaces vertically movable relative to each other, one of said surfaces being provided with an upper and a lower protrusion and the other of said surfaces being provided with one protrusion adapted to be aligned opposite the said upper protrusion when the dispenser is in the closed position and opposite the said lower protrusion when the dispenser is in the discharge position, said protrusions forming therebetween an upper and a lower chamber adapted each to contain therein an individual cigarette, the lower chamber operating on relative movement of said surfaces onto a discharge platform.

3. A rotatable object dispenser adapted to dispense individual rotatable objects, comprising a container provided with at least one discharge and ejection mechanism involving substantially gravitational movement only of the rotatable objects to be discharged, said mechanism comprising an inclined rolling surface terminating in a discharge passage formed between two substantially vertical parallel surfaces vertically moveable relative to each other, one of said surfaces being provided with an upper and a lower protrusion and the other of said surfaces being provided with one protrusion adapted to be aligned opposite the said upper protrusion when the dispenser is in the closed position and opposite the said lower protrusion when the dispenser is in the discharge position, said protrusions forming therebetween an upper and a lower chamber adapted each to contain therein an individual rotatable object, the lower chamber opening on relative movement of said surfaces onto a discharge platform.

4. A cigarette dispense-r according to claim 1, wherein the movable surface projects upwardly beyond the lower end of the inclined rolling surface when the dispenser is in the closed position.

ERNEST DEFOURNEAUX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,008,867 Shee Nov. 14, 1911 1,436,749 Zeschmar Nov. 28, 1922 1,698,955 Lutfring Jan. 15, 1929 1,999,887 Walker Apr. 30, 1935 

